Matthew 16:1 -
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

Some days back I was having a discussion with a Hindu colleague and was warning him that someday he would either become a Muslim or a Christian for his belief has nothing in it that can hold fort to the deceit of Islam or the Truth of Christianity.

He came from a sect which calls itself Jains and they believe their belief / traditions are all scientifically based; and this is one area I love to discuss. For example they have a belief of not eating mangoes after rains for they believe that the rains bring worms into the mangoes. But the foolish thing is, living in a large country like India where rain does not come in all places at one time their religious people fix a date from which they should not eat mangoes to avoid confusion, and like this year it rained for more than 2 weeks while they were still eating mangoes before their cut-off date. Their date is not based on the weather but on their calendar.

Another area I shock his ground was about a Hindu deity which he too worships, that is an elephant god called Ganesh. They believe that the father had by error chopped the head of his own son and replaced it with an elephant's head (it is a mystery why he did find the original head). I pointed him to observe the head of this god. There are 2 types of elephants one Asian and the other African, and they have very noticeable differences between them in the head. The main factors are the ears, forehead and the end of the trunk other than the tusk. The ears of the Asian elephant are small and go back but that of an African elephant is large and can come flat open like the ears which Ganesha has. The other factor is the forehead of the Asian elephant is elongated, if put on his god would make him look ugly unlike the African elephant forehead his god has. Lastly the end of the trunk of an Asian elephant has one finger but of an African elephant has 2 and the trunk of his god has 2 fingers!

When he heard this his ground shook and he realized that I was pointing to the fact that his god was either an African god or just foolishness.

In today's message when Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees and Sadducees about who He was and asked to prove it, Jesus in turn questioned their own understanding.

We Christians fall prey all because we do not arm ourselves with knowledge and wisdom. We should know how to answer others when they question our faith.

If a Muslim comes to you and questions you about who Jesus is and the authenticity of the Bible, question him back on the foundation of his religion. Their prophet Mohammed instructs them to follow him as an example but in his holy book which is the Quran there is nothing about the life of Mohammed. To study about his life they need to go to the Hadiths and when you touch that topic you get them on weak grounds. They know that they among themselves are still fighting about which Hadith to follow and which not to because almost every person who claimed to be near Mohammed or even had far off connection the people near him wrote a Hadith and there are many contradictions between them. Even the ones which they religiously follow have been censored and edited many a times. Just point to the Satanic verses which Salman Rushdie made famous.

Knowledge is what we get when we read and study, but to use this knowledge required wisdom and wisdom comes from experience and can also be received from other's experiences. Bible says we can also get wisdom when we ask the Lord.

I would not recommend everyone to learn about other religions without first having a strong foundation in the Truth. So first build your strong foundation in the Truth by studying the Bible and then study about other religions. To be safe one way I recommend is to interact with brothers and sisters who came from those background and have experience the false in their previous religion, their testimony and knowledge would arm you enough to take those who question your faith.

One of the ministries I am part of regularly organizes events where we call people are well known authorities between the Bible and other religious book so as to expose the false in them and to strengthen our people. I would encourage all to attend such events or if you are a minster to organize such events in your churches and ministries.

[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You said in your Word if we lack wisdom, we need to just ask and You will give us. Lord, we pray from all your people that they be blessed with knowledge and wisdom so that they can use walk wisely in this spiritual battle field and not become victims to foolishness...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[ Reference Scriptures ]Matthew 16:1-4
1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Luke 21:15 - For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21,30-31
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Colossians 4:5 - Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

James 1:5-8
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)